Feel The Beat
by Kiko Kamia
Summary: My own take on what the EBA is REALLY like. J, Chief, and Spin are sent on a mission to recruit a new Agent, but it's not as easy as it may sound. Dark secrets and drama is everywhere! Who says saving the world through the power of music is always fun? *12/29/12: UPDATE COMING SOON!*
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Okay, it's official … I hate Jack Flash. I don't care who he was or what he did … but I freaking HATE his song!"

"Yah, sure … so why don't you quit playing the game?" A sarcastic voice responded.

"Yah right." The first voice growled. "I'm gonna beat the song and the game - just to prove that he's not so great." The girl the first voice belonged to grinned and returned her attention to the black Nintendo DS in her hands.

From the first impression given of the girl, you would probably never expect her to be a gamer, but she was. Lisa Arthur stood at five-foot-ten with curly strawberry-blond hair. Her body had taken on a very athletic appearance after her years of playing soccer and softball with her school's teams. Not only was she a great athlete, but she was a scholar too. Lisa had a straight 4.0 gpa and had been enroled in several online college classes. She was part of the student government and was known to be one of the nicest girls in the school. All of this was during her junior year in high school. Now, it was the beginning of her senior year.

What you wouldn't see, and probably never would, is that behind the "it" girl appearance Lisa maintained, there was a different girl. Only Erica, Lisa's little sister (aka: the sarcastic voice), knew that Lisa was deeply obsessed with video games and anime.

The siblings were in Lisa's bedroom. Erica was using her sister's computer while Lisa was playing the newest game she'd aquired, _Elite Beat Agents_. She'd cleared all but one stage on the game and the final level was **ticking her off**.

Once again, she looked at the dual screens to see the three elite beat divas, slumped on the ground in defeat. "Do I want to retry, review, or quit?" Lisa asked herself quietly. "I don't know …"

* * *

"Don't ya give up! Retry it!" Spin whooped and cheered as Lisa hit the "retry" button.

The agent sat in a black swivel chair in a room that shone with the light from the various screens that lined the walls. These screens showed people of every ethnicity playing the _Elite Beat Agents_ game on their DS. Some of them were doing well, more of them were mediocre, but the majority was struggling with whatever level they were attempting. Spin had planted himself in front of the screen that was featuring Lisa's attempts, taking only a few seconds to glance half-heartedly at any of the other screens.

The automatic-door slid open with a _whoosh._ "Spin!" Agent J glowered as he caught Spin watching Lisa's screen intently. "You're supposed to be watching ALL of them, not just one."

Spin glanced between the higher ranking agent and the screen. "Awwww, dawg … but she's so close to finishing it."

J's eyebrows rose behind his shades in interest. "Who?"

"Uh … the game's registered to Lisa Arthur. According to this, she's had it for about …" Spin searched the screen.

"She's had it for almost two weeks." J interrupted. "I was in here when she first started playing. She went through Breezin' in two days. Has she been marked yet?"

"Marked? What are you talkin' ' bout, man?" Spin studied the various stats and symbols located at the bottom of the screen. "Is it this one?" He pointed to a small badge symbol with a question mark in the center.

J nodded. "Yah, that's it, but how can you not know about how to do all of this?" He gestured around the room.

Spin shrugged. "First time I was scheduled to serve a shift in here, I was called out on a mission and Missy covered for me. I haven't been assigned to work in here since."

"Are you kidding me? Ugh ..." The blond agent rubbed his forehead. "Okay, this is the RRC, or recruitment research center, you knew that much, right? Good. Now, these screens receive the gameplay data transmitted, via our satilites, from the various game-cards. We use the data to find potential recruits and monitor their progress. Marking a player sends a signal to the computer to gather all possible data about him or her, keep it updated, and keeps them on the screen the entire time they're playing, instead of showing the normal 30 second clips." J noticed Spin's smirk. "Don't just mark a lot of girls who you think are cute while you're in here. Marking can't be undone."

"J-man, I can't believe you would think of me doin' somthin' as low as that." Spin pressed a hand over his heart, feigning pain. "That hurts, man, real deep."

"If you were hurt as easily as that, you would have quit dreaming after Foxx a long time ago." J scoffed.

Spin made a face and glanced at the screens with a serious expression on his face. "Know what? You should leave. I'm gettin' distracted by all your hatin', and as you know, J, I've got an important job to do."

J chuckled and turned to leave. _Same old Spin._ As the door slid shut behind him, J glanced back to see Spin return his attention to the screen featuring Lisa's attempts. The older agent went along on his way through the hallway, smiling to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Hey, J, mind if I tag along?" Spin called after the taller agent as he sprinted down one of the silver-blue hallways that formed the network of passages in the headquarter building. 

The blond agent paused as the rookie caught up. "Why would you want to do that? I've got RRC duty ..." J grinned as he remembered the conversation they'd had yesterday. "Ah ... I get it ... you want to see if Lisa's playing, am I right?"

Spin nodded. "Bro, if you'd have seen her last night ..." Spin chuckled slightly and shook his head. "I bet she would have pulled an all-niter if her battery pack hadn't died."

"So, I'll assume that she didn't beat it?" J asked as he resumed his trek down the hallway.

Spin nodded as he fell into stride next to J. "I think she might have had it on her last try, but the whole system went dead during the final spin marker."

J groaned. "Ugh ... that's about the most frustrating thing to happen to someone while they're playing ... was she mad?"

"J-man, the WHOLE system linked to her went kaput. When her battery died, I lost the satellite feed ... I've got no idea if she actually held on long enough to finish. 's why I wanna check it out. The data I found says Lisa lives in Denver, which is in the Mountain Time Zone, and I KNOW that we're an hour ahead of them, so since it's about 1:30 here, it should be about lunch time for her." Spin smiled. "An' I know that noon is one of the most common times for folks to play a few rounds."

J laughed. "Not only did you do your homework, Spin, you did extra-credit... alright, let's go."

* * *

Lisa yawned. She'd been up until two in the morning trying to beat "that song" and now, she was _TIRED_. Her state of sleep deprivation was enhanced by Lisa's decision to wear comfortable sweats to school. Now, she was in her school's cafeteria for lunch. The distant drone of the chatter in the large room was like a strange lullaby that was slowly lulling her to sleep.

At one of the tables not far from her own, Lisa could see the people who had been grouped as "geeks". They sat, playing their DS's and laughing together. Lisa watched their fun longingly as she continued to drift off.

"Hellllooooooo?" Theressa, Lisa's "bff", waved one of her perfectly manicured hands across Lisa's line of vision. "Anyone home?"

"Wha? Oh, yah ... I'm just tired. I was up late last night ... uh ... reading." Lisa smiled as she silently scolded herself. She'd almost confessed her "forbidden" hobby to one of the people who would never understand the fun of video-games. Lisa shuddered as she imagined her friend's most likely reaction to such news, one which would involve a full drama-queen production featuring tears, shouting, fainting, and the slight possibility of blood-shed.

"Reading?! Like, why would you do that?" Theressa laughed her chittery little laugh. "You totally could have come over and chillaxed at my house."

"I know, but Erica didn't have anywhere to go, and I didn't want to make her feel bad by saying I was going out." Lisa sighed and hung her head.

Theressa patted her friend's shoulder, believing that Lisa was disappointed because of a wasted Sunday night.

Lisa sighed again, this time on the inside. _Dang ... I should be nominated for an academy award or something ... how long have I been pulling off this little act? Who knows ... _Lisa looked over to the "geek" table again. A few of the people felt her gaze and looked up from their game just long enough to cast a steely glare in her direction. Lisa turned away, her face growing hot.

Theressa frowned at Lisa. "Are you alright? You've hardly eaten anything, and you look like you might have a fever. You're all red."

"I'm fine ... just not hungry ..." Lisa mumbled, pushing her limp salad around with her fork.

"You need to eat something."

"I told you, I'M NOT HUNGRY!" Lisa snapped, slamming her fork down. All nearby chatter stopped.

"Wow ... spazz much?" Theressa laughed.

Lisa's face grew hotter. She clenched her hand into a fist under the table, trying to resist the urge to throttle the chittering idiot across the room. Without speaking another word, Lisa got up, disposed of her tray, and went to call her mom's office.

* * *

Spin sat on the floor across from the screen he'd seen Lisa playing on last night. "Man, J, how can you stand to do this for so long?" Spin started tapping his fingers on his knee to release the energy pent up inside of him.

J, who was sitting in the chair, rubbed the back of his neck while watching each screen in turn. "I'm not sure. Sometimes I find it relaxing to be in here, but other times, I just start to go batty. I guess most of it has to deal with how good the players are. If they're good, I could watch for hours, but if ... they're not, like right now, I start to do something, like tap my fingers. I guess I just need to have something to do."

Spin silently nodded in agreement and after glancing back at the monitor, turned up his 'tunes, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Lisa stormed into her room and threw her backpack at her bed with all of her strength. She smiled at the assorted crunches and bangs, and felt _somewhat _better. After leaving lunch early, she'd called her mom's office, gotten a sick pass, and came home early. She moved to her closet, flung open the door, reached for the far back shelf, and retrieved her DS. Lisa returned to her bed as she turned on the unit's power. The unit's auto-start mode kicked in and it began to run _Elite Beat Agents _.

"The Elite Beat Agents are at your service." The warm and strangely familiar voice of Agent J welcomed.

Lisa slowly shook her head. "Psh ... I wish ... maybe then ... someone could help me."

* * *

Spin's eyes widened slightly as he watched and listened to the depressed blond. "J, did she just say the word that I think she said?"

J cast a wary glance at his friend, keeping most of his attention on Lisa's screen. "Just because she said 'help' doesn't mean she's calling out for assistance, besides, we can't do anything right now, especially since you've started to take a liking to her."

The younger agent was about to protest, but the door _WHOOOSHING_ open cut him off.

Chieftain, Agent BA - 1, filled the doorway, casting a some-what concealed look of surprise at the rookie seated on the floor. "Commander Kahn wants to see all three of us ... now." The super-sized cowboy announced.

J stood. "Okay, but who will take my place? I'm not supposed to leave this room without a replacement."

A dark hand waved over Chieftain's shoulder. "Ya can't see me, but I promise, I'm back here!" Morris laughed.

Spin rose, chuckling, and exchanged a high-five with agent BA - 4 over the shoulder of the wall of a man who stood between them. Chieftain glowered at Spin, who responded with a good-natured grin after rolling his eyes behind his green shades. "Commander wants to see us ... I know, I know."

The three agents left the RRC together, leaving Morris to his new job, and began the walk to Commander Kahn's office.

"So, do you know what he wants?" J asked.

Chieftain shook his head. "Wasn't my place to ask. However, last two times the lead three agents were called together like this was when ..."

J's eyebrows rose behind his yellow-tinted shades. "Ohhh ... so you think that ..."

Chieftain nodded. "That's _exactly_ what I think."

Spin, who was walking in the middle, glanced from one man to the other impatiently. "What's _ohhh?"_

The other agents grinned. "_Ohhh _... nothing."

J smiled and patted the disgruntled rookie on the shoulder. "I guess you'll just have to wait until Kahn fills you in."

* * *

Lisa sat her DS down carefully on her bed, staring, awe-struck at what the twin screens were showing. "I can't believe it ... I finally ... wow ... I-I think I'm going to need to lie down ..."

* * *

_A/n: Well ... that's the end of chapter two!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3

* * *

**

Kahn sat in the chair behind his desk with his chin resting on the intertwined fingers of his hands, waiting for the three agents. His eyes drifted to the thick yellow envelope that rested on the surface of the desk. He looked up as the door into his office opened and the lead agents entered. Kahn gestured for the three to take a seat in the chairs in front of his desk. Chieftain sat in the chair on the right, J sat on the left, which left Spin, who was getting more and more annoyed, in the center. "You're here earlier than I expected, agents."

"They were both in the RRC." Chieftain explained.

The commander nodded in acknowledgment. "BA-1, BA-2, I expect you know why you are here." The two senior agents nodded. "BA-5 ..." Kahn allowed himself to crack a small grin at the rookie's impatient expression. "I expect you're dying to know." Spin opened his mouth, but thought better of speaking up and simply nodded. "Good. Now, you three know that we keep a close eye on the people who purchase and play the game that we put into circulation. After reviewing the data gathered in the RRC, I have decided that it is in the best interest of the agency to recruit a new agent. You all, as of now, are a team for this mission, in which you will do just that. "

"I'm guessing you have someone particular in mind?" J prompted with a grin.

"Yes, I do have a particular young woman in mind." Kahn pressed a button on his desk. The huge screen behind him lit up to show a zoomed-in map of Denver, Colorado. The map zoomed in farther to show specific streets and houses, badge with a question mark symbol appeared near one house. Next to the picture of the house, the basic information for a mission target popped up.

* * *

Target: Lisa Arthur

Age: 18

Sex: Female

Other: Prospective Agent

* * *

Spin's gaped like a fish out of water, J nodded silently with a smile, Chieftain didn't show any response.

"Your mission is to recruit Lisa Arthur. Any and all information you should need is in this envelope. Speak to Foxx if you think you will need any special gear, otherwise, everything should be well arranged. I would like you to leave as soon as possible, agents, but I do want you to look over the information I've given you first. Agent J, you will be in charge for the obvious reason. However, should things get out of hand, Agent Chieftain, you will have the authority to take over the mission. Failure is not an option. Any questions?" There were none, so Khan handed the envelope to J. "Good luck, agents. Let me know when you'll be ready to leave." The three agents nodded and exited the room quickly.

* * *

Once a decent distance from the commander's office, Spin let out a whoop. "I think this is going to be the greatest mission ever! Hey, J, what was the 'obvious reason' the K-man put you in charge?"

J shook his head. "I'll tell you later. Right now, we should go find somewhere quiet to look over this stuff." J bopped Spin on his head with the envelope.

Chieftain pointed to a door at the far end of the hall. "The library is probably the quietest place, aside anyone's from private quarters."

"Whoa ... since when do we have a library?!" Spin laughed while J and Chieftain shook their heads.

"And _that's _the reason it's always so quiet." J quipped.

* * *

Lisa turned off her DS and stretched. It was nearly four o'clock, so Erica would be returning from school soon. Lisa grimaced as her stomach rumbled and decided to go fix a snack. The silence in the house was disrupted as jars clanked in the refrigerator while Lisa searched for food. Eventually, she dragged out the fixings for a sandwich. As she was spreading mayo on the bread, the front door banged open.

"I can't believe you left early and didn't take me with you!" Erica whined as she made her way into the kitchen, holding the day's mail under one arm.

Lisa frowned. "I wasn't feeling well, that's why I came home. I couldn't have brought you. Did anything interesting come?"

"Hmm ... well, there's something from Aunt Carol."

"What is it?" Lisa asked as she began laying cheese on the mayo-slathered bread.

"Ooh ... there's going to be a family reunion in two weeks!" Erica grinned.

Lisa's face fell as she looked at the invitation. "The last reunion ... Keith was still here. Remember? I wonder if Keith will hear about it and show up?"

"Probably not." Erica, ever the voice of reason, stated as she shook her head. "You know that no one has heard from him for four years. I doubt he'd just just show up out of nowhere."

Keith was the girls' cousin, their Aunt Beth and Uncle John's only child. When they were younger, Keith and Lisa were always together, just like macaroni and cheese, even though Keith was several years older. Out of nowhere, about four years ago, Keith left. There was no warning, he just disappeared. A week after he left, Beth got a letter from him. It had no return address, but in the letter, Keith wished everyone good luck and said good bye. No other sign of Keith had been seen or heard since.

Shortly after Keith's disappearance, Lisa sank into a minor case of depression. She hardly ate or slept, let alone talked. It was during this time that Lisa started playing video-games and watching anime. Her parents never did find out about her new hobbies, and even now, Keith was still a sore spot for the eldest Arthur sister.

Lisa took one last look at the letter with a bitter glare. "I'm going outside. Please don't bother me." With that, she slipped through the back door into the backyard, her half-made sandwich forgotten.

* * *

Lisa lay on a lounge chair, staring up into the branches of the oak tree in the center of the yard. She could pick out the spot where the "tree house" she, Erica, and Keith had built when they were younger. They used to eat meals of sandwiches, chips, and juice boxes up in the lopsided structure. However, over time, the boards rotted, and the house had to be taken down._ That was the summer before my Freshman year ... wasn't it? Yah, it was just before Keith ..._

A tear began it's path down Lisa's cheek. She wiped it away angrily. "It's no fair ... Keith ... you jerk ... wherever you are, whatever you're doing ... I _hate you_."

* * *

The three lead agents entered the library and Spin whistled. All around them were hundreds of shelves containing books, magazines, and film reels. "Dang ... I didn't even know that we had a library ... and this place is huge! What's with the film, though?"

J laughed. "They're recordings of every assistance mission an EBA agent has ever gone on. There are some of the commander from when he was a rookie. It's _all _stored in here." The trio continued toward the far wall until they came to several large, wooden tables. The men sat down and got comfortable.

Chieftain cleared his throat. "We should get started."

J nodded, becoming serious. "Okay, the target is Lisa Arthur. Location: Denver, Colorado. Date of birth: August 10th, 1988. Family composed of her father, mother, and one younger sister ..."

"Yo, how do you know that? You haven't even opened the dang envelope yet." Spin pulled off his green-tinted shades to get a clear look at J. "Did you know her before you came here?"

J sighed and nodded. "Yah, I did. She's actually my younger cousin."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/n: this is going to be some-what of a parting gift, since I'm going to be starting school as of tomorrow and I won't get much of a chance to write for a LOOOOOONG time. Also, I hope I don't leave you all confused, but if I do, just PM me and I'll try to explain._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

That evening, the three lead male agents loaded the bags with their belongings into the back of the black car they'd been lent for the duration of their mission. They were wearing civilian clothing to blend in. Spin was dressed in a loose, light green t-shirt, a pair of worn, baggy jeans, and sneakers. J was clad in a dark blue button-up shirt, khaki pants, and dress shoes the same color as his pants. Chieftain finished up the group in a rust colored western-print shirt, dark jeans, leather cowboy boots, and a light tan cowboy hat.

The agents who hadn't been assigned to the mission gathered to say goodbye ... and to get a look at J's haircut. It had been decided that his hair was a little over-the-top, and too recognizable, so J had his pompadour hacked off (actually, J had refused to get his hair cut until Chieftain threatened to shave it _ALL_ off, then the trim didn't seem _so_ bad).

"It's so strange ... he looks ... well, normal." Missy observed, tilting her head slightly to one side, trying to get a different perspective of the 'do. "It's almost scary."

"They're all supposed to look 'normal' for now." Starr shook her head. "They're supposed to blend in. C'mon, it's not that hard to understand."

"Well, looks like you two bros are the only ones with odd hairdo's now." Spin laughed as he exchanged high-fives with Morris and Derek.

"An' that's the way it's going to stay." Morris chuckled.

"Anyone comes near me with a pair of clippers and I'll be gone." Derek agreed.

"Spin! Time to go!" J called as he got into the front passenger seat.

"Who's driving?" Spin asked as he heard keys jingle from behind him.

"You're riding in the back, rookie." Chieftain chuckled as he pocketed the car keys. "Seniority rules."

"Say what?! Not even funny, dawg ..." Spin grumbled as he entered the car and was instantly cheered. "Whoa, these seats have pockets?! Score!"

* * *

Erica quietly approached Lisa's chair. It was about five now, an hour after Lisa had went out. "Sis, you awake?"

"Do I have to be?" Lisa murmured.

"Yah. Mom called and said she'll be late coming home from the office, again, so we're supposed to get our own supper. D'you want pizza, Chinese, or leftovers?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat _something_, Lisa."

"Pheh ... that's what everyone's been telling me lately." Lisa groaned, rubbing her temples. "I'm getting sick of twisting myself into what everyone expects and wants of me. I'm sick of it."

"Soooo ... I'm guessing that this isn't a really good time?" A voice asked from behind her.

Lisa turned to look at the person who wasn't supposed to be there so quickly, she dumped herself on the ground. Grumbling darkly the entire time, she stood up and brushed dirt and grass off of her clothes. "As long as you were gone, you had pick _now_ to show your face again?!" Lisa snapped as she saw her older cousin.

Kieth (J) sighed. He'd left Spin and Chieftain waiting in the car, but now, he wished that he had them near to support him. "Lisa, Erica ... will you two just please listen to what I have to say?" J felt awkward without his pompadour and shades, but for now, he didn't want to deal with his cousins knowing about his current occupation, and both of those comfort items would have given him away immediately.

"Have you talked to your parents?" Lisa snipped.

J flinched. "No. No, I haven't."

Lisa closed the space between her and her cousin quickly and poked him in the forehead. "Go talk to your parents. Only then will I listen to _anything_ you have to say. Got it?" The teen didn't wait for an answer, but went back into her house, slamming the back door behind her.

"Ooooh ... you just got her _mad_." Erica groaned. "You know I have to stay in that house with her, right?"

J turned to his youngest and apparently more understanding cousin. "Did I miss something while I was gone?"

Erica's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Let's put it this way ... it's like you're watching the season finale of a TV show you used to watch, but missed several seasons of ... your chances of deciphering everything are almost nil."

"Would I, perhaps, be so lucky as to have a kind person fill me in as to what the last few seasons involved?"

Erica thought for a moment and then looked at the house. "I'm on Lisa's side. Go talk to your parents."

* * *

"Aww _heck no_!!!" Spin moaned from the back seat of the car and reached for the radio dial.

Chieftain chuckled in the driver's seat. "My turn to pick the radio station, so hush. It ain't my fault that you stupidly packed your headphones in your bag and then put them in the trunk." The burly cowboy pushed Spin back down into his seat and smiled as the polka continued.

"Well if you'd just let me go out and _get them_." Spin grumbled. "It's not like I'm askin' you to drive back to HQ or nuthin', just pop the trunk."

"Just let him, Chief." J snapped as he got into the car.

"Whoa ... J-man ... why the 'tude? Things not go well?" Spin asked.

J nodded sharply as he buckled his seatbelt. "We're going to have to make a quick detour. Lisa refuses to talk to me until I go see my parents."

"Well ... why don't you not and say you did?" Spin grinned. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"One, she'd know. Two, she'd never talk to me again if she found out that I'd tried to pull a fast one." J's anger melted as he shook his head. "I should have known better than to leave the way I did."

"You didn't have much of a choice if I remember correctly." Chieftain said slowly. "In fact, I think this is the first time a recruit has been approached in this way."

J sighed and nodded.

Spin huffed. "What are you dawgs talkin' about?"

J glanced over his shoulder, gave Spin a long look, and then turned to look back at Lisa's house. "Well ... you wouldn't know it, because you were a volunteer recruit ... but the recruiting process is usually much more ... unpleasant."

"The correct way to describe it is that the target is picked, tracked, and brought in, not always willingly." Chieftain mumbled, as if remembering a dark memory. "We're trying to change that, but sometimes the target has such great potential, 'no' can't be taken for an answer."

"So you ... kidnap 'em?!" Spin choked on the words. "Is that what Kahn meant by 'failure isn't an option'?!" The two senior agents nodded slowly. "That's _sick!_ " Chieftain and J remained silent. "Are you even going to try to defend it?!"

"No, because it _is _wrong. That's why I'm determined to make things right with Lisa and convince her to come by her own choice, not by force." J snapped.

An uncomfortable silence settled in over the car. When the front door to the house opened and Lisa exited, Chieftain broke the silence. "Do you think she knows?"

"I didn't tell her ... but she's probably guessed by now." J stated, noticing the expression on Lisa's face. "I'm gonna go talk to her."

* * *

Lisa stood at the window by the front door and watched as Kieth got into the passenger side of his car. She saw a glimpse of the man in the driver's seat and stifled a gasp. _He looks just like ... but there's no way ... I mean ... EBA is just a game ... right?_ Movement in the back seat drew her eyes away from the front. Lisa did gasp when she saw the man in the back seat. She had no doubt ... that was Spin. _So if the man driving the car is Chieftain, and Spin is in the back ... could that mean that Kieth is J? _Lisa thought back . Now that she thought of it, there were dozens of similarities between the two ... even the ballet.

Lisa felt a small tremor of panic run through her body. _If they really are from the EBA, why are they __here__? No ... it __couldn't__ have anything to do with me ... could it? _As if on auto-pilot, Lisa's body steered itself out the front door and part of the way down the sidewalk. She stopped and looked at her hands. They were trembling. The sound of the car door opening and footsteps warned Lisa to compose herself.

"Lisa? What is it?" Keith asked. "Is everything ok?"

"Tell me the truth and nothing else." Lisa stopped. Her voice had been quivering like jell-o. She took a deep breath and met her cousin's eyes. "What are you doing here, J?"

Keith looked away. "When did you figure it out?"

"Answer my question!" Lisa hissed angrily.

"I can't tell you ... not right now." J admitted, still avoiding Lisa's eyes.

"That's not good enough. You've been gone for four years, and all of a sudden ... you just _show up_. Not only that, you came _here. _You must have a reason, and judging by the fact that there are two other _agents _in that car that you came in, it must be pretty _**darn**_ important." Lisa felt her face turning red from anger.

J made the mistake of meeting Lisa's gaze and he became trapped. He sighed. "Lisa ... I really can't tell you right now. I swear, I would if I could ... but I just _can't_."

"Yo, don't go so hard on the dawg, girl. He's just tryin' to do right by everybody, an' that ain't none too easy." Spin grinned as he approached. "'Specially when ya gotta tip-toe around a firecracker like you. I'm Spin, by the way." Lisa nodded numbly.

"Rookie, get back in the car." Chieftain growled, but after realizing that the situation had gone beyond gruff orders, he emerged from the vehicle as well, leaving his hat behind. "I'm Agent Chieftain." The jumbo-sized cowboy introduced himself. "We should probably move this inside."

* * *

_A/n2: So ... there you go! Please R and R._


	5. Chapter 5

_Note: __Yes, I actually did manage to update_._ I know this is probably a HUGE surprise__, and please, no one have a stroke. That would really be a bummer for me. _

_I haven't had much time to write (granted, it's been years ...literally ...oops) - but I've got this to try to make it up to you all! I'm in college now, and I have an internship at a radio station, so I'm not going to always be able to update on a regular basis. However, I promise to keep working on this one!_

_Now, on to the story!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Lisa began to nod, but stopped. "You have to promise to answer my questions."

"You're not going to just let it slide, are you?" J sighed.

"I'm every bit as stubborn as you are." Lisa replied. "I'll argue with you until my face turns blue, if that's what it takes."

"Miss, I give my word that we will tell you why we are here and do our best to answer any other questions you have, but this isn't the place or the time. You need to calm down first." Chieftain spoke calmly and offered his hand to shake and seal the agreement.

Lisa paused, as if considering any possible drawbacks to the offer, and after a short amount of time, reached out and shook his hand. "Keith, if you're planning on sticking around here, you're going to want to come up with a story for everyone. I don't think that telling them you've become a part of a supposedly fictional organization will be taken well."

J shuddered. "You're probably right about that. I'm planning on going to visit my parents tomorrow, so I have a while before I need to have a story for them, but your mom will be home soon, won't she?"

"No, she's working on something big at the office. It might be hours before she comes home, so you should probably go see your parents now."

"I can't take much more time in the car … especially not with Chief's tunes …" Spin moaned.

"Fine, we can get a hotel room and leave you there." Chieftain chuckled. "It's no skin off my back."

Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Please tell me that you guys have hotel reservations."

"Why would we do that?" J spoke cautiously. "It would be lying."

Lisa groaned. "There's a huge medical convention, a concert, and the State Fair in town. The only rooms you'll find are probably dumps! Haven't you ever heard of planning ahead?"

"I've heard it mentioned … but it didn't seem like it would jive with my style." Spin grinned. "Besides, J was supposed to make a list of everything that we'd need."

"Ugh … why am I not surprised?" Lisa shook her head. "Keith, c'mere for a sec." Lisa took a few steps away and the elder cousin followed. "Why do I get the feeling that you planned this?"

"I've got two theories." J grinned. "One; you're overly suspicious, or two; I did, but only to a degree. I didn't know that the convention was this week."

Lisa growled, struggling to not serve up a backhand. "You're planning on staying here." It wasn't a question.

"It's here or in the car."

"I _hate_ you …" Lisa sighed. "There's a fold-out couch in the basement and we've got an air mattress, but Mom still might decide to kick you three out."

"Well, we can deal with that if and when it happens." J called to his companions with an arm wrapped around Lisa's shoulder. "We can stay here!"

She slipped out of his reach and made her way back up the sidewalk. "I hope you can still find the basement. If you can't, I'm sure you'll be able to _encourage_ yourselves until you do."

* * *

Erica waited next to the door for Lisa. "So … what's the deal? Those other two guys look kinda familiar, don't they?"

"Eri … just … I'm going to my room. Talk to Keith if you want to know what's going on, okay?" Lisa sighed and made her way up the nearby stairs, en route to her bedroom.

"Alright … hmph … a moody sister … wonderful ..." Erica grumbled as the door opened. "Once again, this is _your_ fault, Keith."

The agent groaned. "I know. You aren't going to join the hate club too, are you?"

"I won't if you make supper." Erica suggested with an angelic smile. "Who knows, maybe your cooking will be enough to get Lisa to eat."

"She hasn't been eating? How long has this been going on?"

"Well, she only started again recently." Erica winced at Keith's pained expression. "Right … you didn't know … after you, let's say 'disappeared', Lisa hardly slept. It took a lot of convincing to even get her to eat. One time she nearly wound up in the hospital, but after that, she seemed to snap out of it."

Keith shook his head. "I guess that explains more of her attitude."

Quick, uneven footsteps heralded the coming of someone else. "Hey, dawg, ya mind unblocking the door?" Spin begged plaintively. "I'm _dyin'_ here. These bags are _heavy_!" He grinned awkwardly when he noticed Erica. "Oh … heh … hi …"

Erica eyed the baggage suspiciously. "You guys are staying here? Haven't you ever heard of a hotel?"

"Yes, but we didn't think we'd need reservations to get a room with summer over. Lisa told us about all of the stuff going on in town and that she was pretty sure we wouldn't be able to get a decent room, so … here we are."

"Keith … oh man …" Erica laughed. "Here, I'll help you out. Give me one of those bags."

"Thanks!" Spin smiled gratefully and gave up possession of a pair of duffle bags. "The name's Neil, by the way."

"Erica. Follow me." She led the rookie off, the pair still chatting happily.

"You going to be able to handle this?" Chieftain asked, arriving with the last of the bags.

"I think so … but you'll have to ask me again when this is all over." J admitted. "Let's go."

* * *

Lisa frowned. It was now somewhere close to nine o'clock, her mom wasn't home yet, and the laughing downstairs made it impossible to stay in a bad mood.

Finally, her curiosity got the better of her, and she crept downstairs.

The three agents and Erica were seated in various locations radiating around the TV. Each held a Wii-mote in his or her hands, had their eyes focused on the screen, and had plates with the remains of pizza and cans of pop within arms' reach.

Lisa sat down on an unoccupied section of couch and watched. Now she could see which game they were playing. _Super Smash Brothers_ … go figure.

_Kirby slams link off of the platform. He's done for; no more lives left. Yoshi gets bashed with Kirby's hammer. He's gone too. Zelda comes up from behind and manages to get a few hits in. Kirby jumps high in the air and falls on Zelda in his rock form. The round is over; Zelda is done for as well. _

_The TV screen proclaimed Kirby the winner and moved on to the scores._

_Kirby – 30 wins_

_Zelda – 4 wins_

_Yoshi – 2 wins_

_Link – 0 wins_

"Who's Kirby?" Lisa asked with a poorly concealed snicker.

"David." Erica answered with a pout and gestured toward Chieftain. "I'm Yoshi, Keith is Link, and Neil is Zelda."

Chieftain smirked as the next round loaded. "You don't mess with the Lone Star State _or_ the Star Warrior."

"I'm done." Erica announced, pausing the game. "Here ya go … get your butt kicked for a round or two, might do you some good." She passed her controller to Lisa and left.

"Okay, let's do this." Lisa smiled uneasily, feeling awkward around the agents.

"Hold on. You didn't have supper yet, right? There's extra pizza in the refrigerator if you're hungry." Keith offered.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry."

Spin gave a happy whoop as Lisa un-paused the game. "That being said, let's play!"

J re-paused the game. "Go eat something." He said more forcefully. "Erica told me you ate next to nothing today."

"I told you, I'm not hungry. Besides, I ate when I came home from school early."

"You're lying."

"Am not, and if I was, you couldn't prove it."

"Lisa, you're being immature. Starving yourself won't accomplish anything."

"What are you babbling about? I'm absolutely and totally fine!"

"Both of you shut your traps." Chieftain ordered. The cousins continued to glare at each other, but obeyed. "Now, I'll win one more round of this, and then you," he pointed at Lisa ", are going to have something to eat." Chief held up a hand as Lisa started to protest. "I'm not finished. While you eat, we'll answer your questions. Seem fair enough?"

The scowl on Lisa's face slowly morphed into an impish grin. "No, because _I'm_ going to win this round."

* * *

"Like I said," Chieftain's laughter rumbled through the kitchen ",I won one more round. So now it's chow time for you."

"I almost beat you." Lisa reminded the black-haired agent with a grin as she threw a slice of cold pizza on a plate and popped it into the microwave.

"Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." J quipped sourly.

Spin chuckled and jabbed at J's side. "It was only a game. No reason to be a whiner."

"Anyway …when do I start getting my answers?" Lisa asked, apprehension obvious in her voice.

"After you've had a bite or two."

"Fair enough." Lisa agreed as she poured herself a glass of milk.

The microwave dinged. "Grub time." J retrieved the plate and passed it to Spin, who in turn, slid it in front of Lisa.

"Okay," Lisa began, swallowing a bite. "The game …how 'real' is it?"

"Depends on exactly what you're talking about. Some aspects are totally fictional, but there are others that are pure fact." Chieftain paused until Lisa took another bite of pizza. "For example, we rarely encounter our target directly. Also, the number of agents responding to a situation varies, depending on the importance or difficulty of the mission."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Rhombulans?"

"Fake." J laughed.

"What about the whole 'Agents aaaaaare goooooooo!' shtick?" Lisa grinned.

"The Commander hates it – we put it in there as a gag."

"Does everyone get a code-name?"

"Nah, only Responders get them."

Lisa paused, watching the three carefully. "Responders are …a type of agent? That's what you guys would be considered?" They nodded. "Then what other types of agents are there?"

"Well, some work mainly in the tech department, others in mechanics, and some in music. Then there are some older agents who aren't ready to retire – they serve as teachers or as other support staff."

"Then what about the Divas? Where do they fit in, or are they even 'real'?"

"They're a _much_ smaller sub-section of about 50 Responders. Foxx, Missy, and Starr are the most experienced of all the Divas. They usually respond to the most sensitive situations, as long as it wouldn't be putting them into danger."

"As a division of women, the Divas are generally more attuned to the emotions of others, and therefore are more able to assist in delicate situations." Chieftain added, sensing another question before it came.

"You said 'a _much_ smaller group of 50 Divas' …then how many 'normal' Responders are there?"

The three agents met glances. "I dunno, what do you think?" J scratched his head.

"No idea." Spin shrugged. "I still keep managing to bump into new people."

"Somewhere between five and seven hundred should be a safe bet." Chieftain finalized.

Lisa's eyes bulged as she coughed on a chunk of not-quite-chewed pepperoni. "Come again? Seven _hundred_?"

"Give or take. If you think about it, that's not very many, considering the area we cover."

"Do I even want to hear this?"

"North, Central, and South America, and the eastern halves of Europe and Africa; the rest of the planet is the responsibility of the Ouedan."

"They're real too?"

"Yup."

"Do you guys work with them often?"

"Not really. Our 'territories' really don't create a need for that."

Lisa nodded once again and tried to think of another question. Sure, she had one that was burning in her throat worse than a jalapeño pepper, but it could also make or break everything. _Pandora's box. I'm going to have to let all of the little nasties out sooner or later. Maybe it will be better to have everything out in the open. _She narrowed her eyes at J. "Okay, you knew this one was coming, and I don't want any lies. What are you doing he-"

"Lisa? Erica? Whose car is out front?" An adult woman's voice called from the vicinity of the front door.

Lisa dashed from the kitchen. "I'll be right back."

"She was gonna ask what we're doing here." Spin hissed in a panicked whisper.

"Probably, but like she said, we knew it was coming. I'm surprised she didn't ask sooner. What's the problem?"

"Well, what are we gonna tell her?"

"Only thing we can – the truth."

* * *

_Note: Dun dun DUUN! I hope that was somewhat satisfying for all of you! Let me know what you thought! Reviews are what made me start writing again!_


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